Homily [2] Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Year C: Fr. Udoekpo, Michael

Homily [2] Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Year C: Fr. Udoekpo, Michael

·         Prov 8:22-31

·         Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9;

·         Rom 5:1-5

·         John 16:12-15

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

Today we celebrate the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, which reminds us of our common doxology, the Glory be to the Father,  to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. It is an age-long celebration, in a new century, a different time, different year!  We live today, in the 21^st century, filled with new ideas, including, supersonic technology, I-phones, I-pads, global economic crisis, and rap-music.  Ecological and climate changes are on the rise; aviation and political crises on the increase; poverty, secularism, materialism, are daily threatening traditional Christian values the mysteries of faith, drums of war beating, terrorism and religious extremists are “celebrating” in the  broad day light; religious leaders are trying their best. They are in dialogue with their nations politicians!  Pope Francis, in particular has responded not only with his Evangelii Gaudium (the Joy of Gospel), addressing the United Nations, but with his Laudauto Si and Amoris Laetitia (the joy of love).

To all of us, the questions remains how do we, today, in the midst of all these, call it afflictions, continue to re-live, relate to, or celebrate this mystery? I suggest our spiritual point of departure be love, faith, hope, absolute trust, and reliability in the promises of God indelibly expressed in the Church’s teachings, particularly in the Holy Scriptures.

In the first reading (Prov 8:22-31) we are reassured of the presence of this divine mystery with us, from creation, in the form of Wisdom/Sophia/Hokma Sapientia: “When the Lord established heavens I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep; when he made firm the skies above, when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth; when he set for the sea its limit… and I found delight in the human race.” Delight in the human race! God has always been fond of us in ways that are beyond our human comprehension!

He accompanies us on our journeys, in mysterious ways! In the plague in Egypt, in our illnesses, in the wilderness of Sinai, in the burning bush, in the roughness of our exiles, poverty, the loss of our loved ones, through the mouth of the prophets, in our various challenges, call it afflictions, the Glory of the Lord accompanies us!

Paul speaks of this Glory in the 2^nd reading (Rom 5:1-5). His conversion of course was a mystery! Paul says to the Romans, perhaps in the midst of their afflictions,  “since we have been justified by faith,” we have peace with God, through the second person of the Holy Trinity, namely Jesus Christ “through whom we have gained access by faith.. And we boast in the glory of God,” even in the midst of our afflictions, “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts, through the Holy Spirit that has been given us.”

 From the Gospel reading of today, I want to believe that, humanly speaking, it must  have  sounded like an affliction when the disciples of Christ first  learned in the last discourse that Christ, their master, would have to go to the Cross at some point (John 16:12-15). What a seemingly painful departure would that be?  I wonder if the disciples first understood what Christ meant, when he said to them, “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But, when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth… everything that the father has is mine, for this reason, I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” This is where the mystery lies; the mystery of a God on cross; the mystery of “the Spirit of truth,” wisdom, endurance, patience, courage, love, hope , faith, which God the Father through his crucified Son and the Holy Spirit pour on us on the Pentecost.

In our daily challenges, the workings of the mystery of the Holy Trinity are in us, knowingly or unknowingly.  All that he has in the Trinity is ours. The triune God loves us and wishes us to share his life. In a turbulent world of today of various socio- political and religious challenges, God wants us to behave and constantly act in manner that reflects his Divine Love. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever, shall be, world without end. Amen!